Spanish Literary Figures: Ortega y Gasset, Miró, and Pérez de Ayala

Three Key Spanish Literary Figures

José Ortega y Gasset

An animator and intellectual guide for his generation, Ortega y Gasset held a BA in Philosophy. His work is primarily essayistic, including:

• The Revolt of the Masses
• The Dehumanization of Art (in which he calls for an art aimed at a minority, arguing that true art is not made for the masses).

He encouraged intellectual, political, and creative struggle, helping to establish The League for Political Education along with other authors.

Gabriel Miró

Miró led a simple life, removed from the intellectual scene. He studied law and, in 1908, won an award with Wanderer (El vagabundo). His early texts are impressions of La Mancha, demonstrating his descriptive propensity. In 1914, he began The Sacred Catholic Encyclopedia (Enciclopedia Sagrada Católica).

With Crosses Orchard (El huerto de cruces), he won another award in 1925. Following the appearance of Bishop Leper (El obispo leproso), he was involved in a controversy from which he was injured.

Mature Stage Works

The mature stage begins with Cherries Cemetery (Cerezas del cementerio), where themes of eroticism, death, and illness are treated within an intimate atmosphere. Other major works include:

• In Figures of the Passion of Our Lord (Figuras de la Pasión del Señor), he discusses the last days of Christ's life.
• Our Father Saint Daniel (Nuestro Padre San Daniel) forms a unit with Bishop Leper; the city is depicted as a microcosm of mysticism and sensuality.

Literary Style

Miró's works have been described as the lyrical novel, being more sensitive to the expression of feelings than to the recounting of events. His style is characterized by:

• Rich plastic descriptions.
• Use of synesthesia and sensory images.
• Surprising adjectives and rich vocabulary.

The power of his language serves to revive and reveal realities.

Ramón Pérez de Ayala

Ayala studied at a Jesuit school, which provided him with a solid humanistic foundation but also triggered a religious crisis. This crisis made him anticlerical, though not anti-religious. After studying law, he traveled to England and decided to dedicate himself to literature.

He was an admirer of England, attracted by its political and personal liberalism. Ayala appeared on the Madrid stage aligned with the ideology of the Free Institution of Education (Institución Libre de Enseñanza).

Poetry

The beginnings of his poetry were influenced by Modernism, based on the metaphor of life as a path and references to natural elements. Key poetic works include:

• The Peace of the Path (La paz del sendero)
• The Innumerable Path (El sendero innumerable)
• The Errant Path (El sendero errante)

Novel Classification

Ayala's real contribution is in the novel, classified into three stages:

1. The Autobiographical Stage: These four novels build a critical view of liberal education systems:
   • Darkness at the Summits (Tinieblas en las cumbres)
   • A.M.D.G.
   • The Leg of the Scraping (La pata de la raposa)
   • Troteras and Danzaderas
2. Transition Stage: Three poetic novels focusing on Spanish life:
   • Prometheus (Prometeo)
   • Sunday Light (Luz de domingo)
   • The Fall of the Lemons (La caída de los limones)
3. Major Themes Stage: Novels dealing with universal significance:
   • Language in Belarmino and Apolonio
   • Love and sex education in Urban Novels and Simona (Novelas urbanas y Simona)
   • Honor in Tigre Juan and The Healer of His Honor (El curandero de su honor, a continuation)